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Friday, February 8, 2013

Review: Orphan Flu by A. D. Bolivar

Published: October 11, 2012 by A. D. Bolivar BooksFormat: E-BookSource: Received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookrooster in exchange for my review.

When all of the adults start dying around the world from a unique strain of influenza, Sara's family is prepared. Her Dad is a survivalist computer geek who built a bunker of a house in the Philadelphia suburbs completely off grid. He taught his kids to hunt and gave them lessons on how to survive in the wilderness. With society collapsing under the strain of so much death, violence starts erupting around the country. All of their training isn't enough to keep them safe as strangers swarm the property and they find themselves under attack.

Dad's instructions swirl in Sara's head as she leaves her family home with her younger sister Eve. They always promised him they would go right to his friend Mr. John's house in Denver if they ever had to evacuate. Sara just wants to make one small stop in Washington, DC to see if it's true that the government and all the authority that goes along with it is dead too. When she arrives she finds herself in the middle of a battle she doesn't want to fight, kidnapped by soldiers and living in the White House.

Forced to work in the new army, Sara ends up making friends and right when she thinks she may have found a home, they give her a mission she's not sure she can complete. At this point, Sara isn't worried about getting lost. She's just wondering if she's going to survive.

First Sentence

"Two roads diverged in a mall and her Dad took the one only traveled by geeky older men."

My Thoughts

The first sentence had me...hook, line and sinker. I love the Robert Frost poem this is a play on and I thought it was super cute! I could feel the characters embarrassment and couldn't help but laugh out loud at the reference. Oh to be a teenager again...

This book was extremely well written and a page turner. I didn't want to put it down, even when I knew I had to. This book is action packed and left me constantly wondering what was going to happen next!

The flu is definitely harder on the elderly, and it isn't uncommon for someone elderly to pass from the flu. That being said, the plot is not far fetched and the more you think about it --- kinda freaky! Can you really imagine what the world would be like if a widespread epidemic wiped out anyone over the age of 30??????

Sara is an incredibly strong character that I fell in love with instantly. She has a geeky dad and an older brother that is just as geeky. While she may be slightly embarrassed of how geeky they are...it definitely pays off in the end. Sara has been taught all of the necessary tools to be able to survive any and every possible thing.

While Sara's family is prepared, there is no way to stop the progression and spread of the disease. It takes both her mother and father early on and leaves her, her brother Adam and her sister Eve to fend for themselves. With the society crumbling, looters are everywhere and will do anything to get what they need to survive. The cabin is well equipped and looters end up ransacking and taking over the house.

Sara knows that she has to make it to Denver to be with Mr. John, her father's best friend, and his family. Before she heads to Denver she needs to see for herself what is going on in Washington, DC. When she gets there, she is in for a big surprise. Sara will do anything to protect her family...but will she make it to Denver?

I really don't want to give too much away, as the book is fantastic and I don't want to ruin it! I highly recommend this book! Go, read it now!